BY ASHZEL HACHERO, MALAYA
A COALITION of civil society groups yesterday called for the resignation of President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro and the holding of snap elections 60 days after they step down from office.
The Gloria-Noli Resign Movement said Arroyo and De Castro should resign to spare the country from further turmoil and violence. "Two more years of governance cannot but bring the country to dishonor, destitution and ruin," it said.
In a press conference in Makati, the group also presented a manifesto signed by at least 1,600 individuals including opposition Senators Aquilino Pimentel and Antonio Trillanes IV, two retired Army generals, lawyers, journalists and representatives of civil society groups.
The manifesto followed a series of scandals involving the Arroyo administration, including bribery, corruption, poll fraud, and human rights violations.
"The talk is no longer whether GMA should finish her term in 2010 but rather how to put an end to a graft-ridden and utterly immoral regime that no longer deserves to stay a day longer in office," said Linggoy Alcuaz, assistant coordinator of Oust Gloria Coalition.
Alcuaz said the coalition has discussed whether Arroyo alone should be called on to resign. But he said the coalition said De Castro is perceived to be incapable of running the country.
"Senator Kiko Pangilinan said that this is the ‘only constitutional solution to avert civil war’ and even former President Fidel Ramos himself publicly declared that De Castro is incapable of running the country despite a higher acceptance rating than the President. Noli too, must go, runs the public perception," he said.
He also said Arroyo and De Castro assumed office after an election characterized by massive cheating, as shown in the "Hello Garci" wiretapped recordings.
The group said De Castro was a "beneficiary" of that cheating and is to be considered Arroyo’s "silent partner in crime" because he has not denounced abuses and excesses of the Arroyo government.
Alcuaz said if Arroyo refuses to resign, the only remaining options are removal from office through impeachment or extra-constitutional means like a power grab.
"The point is, this government must go by all means." he said.
Alcuaz admitted getting Arroyo and De Castro to resign is not an easy task. He said only public pressure or the "pangs of moral conscience" will make Arroyo listen to the people.
"History tells us that no dictator or corrupt leader ever surrendered power so easily. We all know that no one is above the law except Gloria," he said.
The group said the impeachment complaint filed at the House was not a feasible means of removing Arroyo.
"Impeachment faces an uphill battle. We all know impeachment is a numbers game," said Argee Guevarra of the All Reform Movement of Lawyers organization.
Guevarra said the group is not targeting a specific number of signatories to the manifesto. The group also does not intend to send the manifesto to Malacañang.
"We are a diverse group of organizations and we all know prior to this there are several individual campaigns working for Arroyo’s ouster…this petition is not an appeal to Arroyo’s conscience but this is meant to awaken people," said Guevarra.
Other signatories were former Sen. Serge Osmeña, retired generals Romeo Dominguez and Raul Urgello, film producers Armida Siguion-Reyna and Bibeth Orteza, Bishop Leo Alconga of the Philippines for Jesus Movement, former ambassador Roy Señeres; lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines College of Law, former Transportation undersecretary Josefina Lichauco, lawyer Luis Sison of Bangon Pilipinas, Ramon Pedrosa of the Be Not Afraid Movement, Ronald Lumbao of the People’s Movement Against Poverty, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Conrado de Quiros, Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet, Malaya chief of reporters Ellen Tordesillas and Malaya news editor Minnie Advincula
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Civil society groups tell GMA, Noli to quit, call for snap polls
The Daily Tribune 11/08/2007
Giving up on the impeachment process to remove President Arroyo, motley groups calling themselves “civil society” yes-terday held a press conference and launched their call for snap elections, while demanding the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo and her Vice President Noli de Castro.
With the resignation of both top officials, snap presidential polls can be called within 60 days, the manifesto issued by the group read.
This was signed by former and incumbent political, former military, and media personalities.
Among those who signed were Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, former Sen. Serge Osmeña, Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, Renato Constantino Jr. and lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines-College of Law.
Malacañang, reacting to the snap polls call, quickly thumbed it down.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita dismissed the calls, saying the proposal is baseless.
“It is baseless, coming from the critics. We cannot hope to satisfy everybody. We will not give much attention to them,” Ermita said.
The chief Palace aide believes that the manifesto calling for snap elections will not “hold water.”
In a press conference at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City, the groups behind the manifesto also said the current impeach-ment complaint filed at the House of Representatives was not a feasible way to remove Mrs. Arroyo from the presidency.
There have been three attempts in as many years, to have the President impeached, but these have always been killed by Mrs. Arroyo’s allies.
A confident Ermita predicted that the Ruel Pulido complaint will be killed in two weeks.
The Gloria-Noli resign groups stated in their manifesto that “the time we have been waiting for has come. Gloria and Noli must go for the benefit of our people and the country and even for their own sake,” adding, “at no time since the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal had the President been linked directly to acts of bribery, corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The talk is no longer whether GMA should finish her term in 2010 but rather how to put an end to a graft-ridden and utterly immoral regime that no longer deserves to stay a day longer in office. Together with the people, we must find a way to remove her from office this year or early next year in a manner that is constitutional, peaceful, democratic and orderly.”
There were options offered, one of which is to conduct a presidential special election in 2008 as provided for under the Constitution, stressing that if snap polls aren’t held, this translates to Mrs. Arroyo continued governance “that cannot but bring to our country dishonor, destitution and ruin.”
The other option, the manifesto said, is to remove both the president and the vice president by force and forthwith install a “caretaker” government. This has been tried many times before but so far has not been quite successful.
“This is not to say however that we will discourage the people from expressing their outrage by other means. This has happened before there is no reason it cannot be done again. The point is, this government must go by all means possible, whether by constitutional or an extra-constitutional means. This government has committed such abuse of power as to allow the people the right to employ any means necessary for the redress of their grievances.”
The constitutional route was claimed to be preferred by the groups, and they have stated that their aim, through this Resign Gloria-Noli call to be about snap elections, is “to force the President and the Vice-President to resign before the end of the year.”
The groups claimed that “all that the people must do is to exert pressure by telling all and sundry that their President has betrayed their trust and violated her oath of office when she succumbed to the high crimes of bribery, graft and corruption. The impeachment case filed against Gloria for this purpose will provide the opportunity to unload to the public the venalities committed by the President herself. If the impeachment try is defeated, the case may be brought directly to the people for them to render a contrary verdict. The pressure so created must be so powerful as to leave to the President and her government no other choice but to resign. In other words, her ability to govern must be so distracted by corruption charges until she realizes that the remaining years of her term would be better spent providing for her own safety rather than trying to bequeath a legacy of a failed presidency.
Apart from this constitutional route by way of congressional initiative the only other option decisive enough to make the President and the Vice-President resign is a resort to “extra” or “intra” constitutional means, that is by way of a military intervention or mass uprising. “
At the press conference, it was stated by Argee Guevarra of the All Reform Movement of Lawyers, that “We recognize any and all efforts to oust the present administration but, based on our frank assessment, impeachment faces an uphill battle. We all know impeachment is a numbers game.”
The petition does not have a target number and that they do not intend to submit the manifesto the Office of the President or Office of the Vice-president.
Guevarra explained that they are a diverse group of organization and this petition is not an appeal to Mrs. Arroyo’s conscience but it is meant to awaken the people. Gina Peralta-Elorde, Sherwin C. Olaes and Tribune wires
Giving up on the impeachment process to remove President Arroyo, motley groups calling themselves “civil society” yes-terday held a press conference and launched their call for snap elections, while demanding the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo and her Vice President Noli de Castro.
With the resignation of both top officials, snap presidential polls can be called within 60 days, the manifesto issued by the group read.
This was signed by former and incumbent political, former military, and media personalities.
Among those who signed were Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, former Sen. Serge Osmeña, Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, Renato Constantino Jr. and lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines-College of Law.
Malacañang, reacting to the snap polls call, quickly thumbed it down.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita dismissed the calls, saying the proposal is baseless.
“It is baseless, coming from the critics. We cannot hope to satisfy everybody. We will not give much attention to them,” Ermita said.
The chief Palace aide believes that the manifesto calling for snap elections will not “hold water.”
In a press conference at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City, the groups behind the manifesto also said the current impeach-ment complaint filed at the House of Representatives was not a feasible way to remove Mrs. Arroyo from the presidency.
There have been three attempts in as many years, to have the President impeached, but these have always been killed by Mrs. Arroyo’s allies.
A confident Ermita predicted that the Ruel Pulido complaint will be killed in two weeks.
The Gloria-Noli resign groups stated in their manifesto that “the time we have been waiting for has come. Gloria and Noli must go for the benefit of our people and the country and even for their own sake,” adding, “at no time since the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal had the President been linked directly to acts of bribery, corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The talk is no longer whether GMA should finish her term in 2010 but rather how to put an end to a graft-ridden and utterly immoral regime that no longer deserves to stay a day longer in office. Together with the people, we must find a way to remove her from office this year or early next year in a manner that is constitutional, peaceful, democratic and orderly.”
There were options offered, one of which is to conduct a presidential special election in 2008 as provided for under the Constitution, stressing that if snap polls aren’t held, this translates to Mrs. Arroyo continued governance “that cannot but bring to our country dishonor, destitution and ruin.”
The other option, the manifesto said, is to remove both the president and the vice president by force and forthwith install a “caretaker” government. This has been tried many times before but so far has not been quite successful.
“This is not to say however that we will discourage the people from expressing their outrage by other means. This has happened before there is no reason it cannot be done again. The point is, this government must go by all means possible, whether by constitutional or an extra-constitutional means. This government has committed such abuse of power as to allow the people the right to employ any means necessary for the redress of their grievances.”
The constitutional route was claimed to be preferred by the groups, and they have stated that their aim, through this Resign Gloria-Noli call to be about snap elections, is “to force the President and the Vice-President to resign before the end of the year.”
The groups claimed that “all that the people must do is to exert pressure by telling all and sundry that their President has betrayed their trust and violated her oath of office when she succumbed to the high crimes of bribery, graft and corruption. The impeachment case filed against Gloria for this purpose will provide the opportunity to unload to the public the venalities committed by the President herself. If the impeachment try is defeated, the case may be brought directly to the people for them to render a contrary verdict. The pressure so created must be so powerful as to leave to the President and her government no other choice but to resign. In other words, her ability to govern must be so distracted by corruption charges until she realizes that the remaining years of her term would be better spent providing for her own safety rather than trying to bequeath a legacy of a failed presidency.
Apart from this constitutional route by way of congressional initiative the only other option decisive enough to make the President and the Vice-President resign is a resort to “extra” or “intra” constitutional means, that is by way of a military intervention or mass uprising. “
At the press conference, it was stated by Argee Guevarra of the All Reform Movement of Lawyers, that “We recognize any and all efforts to oust the present administration but, based on our frank assessment, impeachment faces an uphill battle. We all know impeachment is a numbers game.”
The petition does not have a target number and that they do not intend to submit the manifesto the Office of the President or Office of the Vice-president.
Guevarra explained that they are a diverse group of organization and this petition is not an appeal to Mrs. Arroyo’s conscience but it is meant to awaken the people. Gina Peralta-Elorde, Sherwin C. Olaes and Tribune wires
Petition launched for snap polls
GMANews.TV 11/07/2007 04:13 PM
More than 1,600 individuals led by opposition senators Aquilino Pimentel and Antonio Trillanes IV, two military generals, lawyers, journalists, artists, and representatives of civil society groups have so far signed a petition calling for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro, and the holding of a snap election.
In a statement posted on www.petitiononline.com/snap08, the signatories asked President Arroyo and De Castro “to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions."
On Wednesday, Malacañang rejected the call for a snap election. Radio dzBB quoted Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita as saying that Mrs Arroyo and De Castro were the duly elected president and vice-president in the 2004 elections, thus they cannot step down just because some groups criticizing their administration wanted them out of office.
The petition's signatories demanded the holding of a “special presidential and vice-presidential election within 60 days from the date of the resignation" of Mrs Arroyo and De Castro.
"The only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for (Arroyo) and...De Castro to resign from their respective positions," the statement said.
They said the call was “pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution." The said section in the Constitution states that, “The Congress shall, at ten o'clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days, enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call."
The petition said President Arroyo "has lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration, as consistently shown by survey after survey conducted by reputable polling entities."
The signatories said Mrs Arroyo "has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country," because of "numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration," such as the “Hello, Garci" election controversy, the 329.48-million National Broadband Network with ZTE Corp. , the North Rail Project, the Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest bribery incident at the Palace.
Meanwhile, the petition said De Castro "is a beneficiary of the cheating perpetrated during the May 2004 Elections." It said the Vice President "is also considered to be a silent partner in crime of (the President) not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for (Arroyo), but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the Arroyo regime."
More than 1,600 individuals led by opposition senators Aquilino Pimentel and Antonio Trillanes IV, two military generals, lawyers, journalists, artists, and representatives of civil society groups have so far signed a petition calling for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro, and the holding of a snap election.
In a statement posted on www.petitiononline.com/snap08, the signatories asked President Arroyo and De Castro “to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions."
On Wednesday, Malacañang rejected the call for a snap election. Radio dzBB quoted Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita as saying that Mrs Arroyo and De Castro were the duly elected president and vice-president in the 2004 elections, thus they cannot step down just because some groups criticizing their administration wanted them out of office.
The petition's signatories demanded the holding of a “special presidential and vice-presidential election within 60 days from the date of the resignation" of Mrs Arroyo and De Castro.
"The only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for (Arroyo) and...De Castro to resign from their respective positions," the statement said.
They said the call was “pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution." The said section in the Constitution states that, “The Congress shall, at ten o'clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days, enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call."
The petition said President Arroyo "has lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration, as consistently shown by survey after survey conducted by reputable polling entities."
The signatories said Mrs Arroyo "has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country," because of "numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration," such as the “Hello, Garci" election controversy, the 329.48-million National Broadband Network with ZTE Corp. , the North Rail Project, the Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest bribery incident at the Palace.
Meanwhile, the petition said De Castro "is a beneficiary of the cheating perpetrated during the May 2004 Elections." It said the Vice President "is also considered to be a silent partner in crime of (the President) not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for (Arroyo), but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the Arroyo regime."
Snap polls pressed
By Thea Alberto, INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro should resign and a snap election be called in 60 days, incumbent political, former military, and media personalities declared in a manifesto they released Wednesday.
Among those who signed were Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.; Senator Antonio Trillanes IV; Former senator Serge Osmeña, Lieutenant General Romeo Dominguez, former chief of the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces; Renato Constantino Jr; film producers Armida Siguion-Reyna and Bibeth Orteza; Bishop Leo Alconga of the Philippines for Jesus Movement; former ambassador Roy Señeres; columnists Conrado de Quiros (Philippine Daily Inquirer), Ellen Tordesillas (Malaya); and lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines-College of Law.
The group said a snap elections was the most viable option to “re-establish democracy.”
The manifesto was issued following a series of scandals involving the administration, which include allegations of bribery, corruption, poll fraud, and human rights violations, among others.
The manifesto also called on the public to sign an online petition at www.petitiononline.com/snap08.
The manifesto stated that although the Chief Justice could lead a “caretaker government” should Arroyo and De Castro leave their posts, it would still be “a patently erroneous” option.
"The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA [Arroyo’s initials] and Noli De Castro to resign...[because] it passes the test of constitutionality," according to the manifesto.
"The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA [Arroyo’s initial] and Noli De Castro to resign...[because] it passes the test of constitutionality," according to the manifesto.
In a press conference at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City, the groups behind the manifesto also said the current impeachment complaint filed at the House of Representatives was not a feasible way to remove Arroyo from the presidency.
"We recognize any and all efforts to oust the present administration but, based on our frank assessment, impeachment faces an uphill battle. We all know impeachment is a numbers game," said Argee Guevarra of the All Reform Movement of Lawyers organization, adding that the current complaint was a weak one.
And while the petition seeks many signatories, the group clarified they do not have a target number and that they do not intend to submit the manifesto the Office of the President or Office of the Vice-president.
"We are a diverse group of organizations and we all know prior to this there are several individual campaigns working for Arroyo's ouster…this petition is not an appeal to Arroyo's conscience but this is meant to awaken people," said Guevarra.
Most of the convenors are known allies of former president Joseph Estrada who said he had no hand in the petition. Among them are Rez Cortez, head of the National Council of Concerned Volunteers; Jose “Linggoy” Alcuaz, assistant director of the Oust Gloria Coalition, and Ver Eustaquio of the Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice..
Since Estrada was granted executive clemency last October 25, he has backed away from calls for Arroyo’s ouster.
Eustaquio said he was confident Estrada will always side with the masses, even if he has distanced himself from calls for Arroyo's resignation."We are not speaking in behalf of Erap [Estrada’s nickname] but when Erap said his fight against poverty has to continue, we knew he would never leave us, he would never leave the masses," Eustaquio said.
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro should resign and a snap election be called in 60 days, incumbent political, former military, and media personalities declared in a manifesto they released Wednesday.
Among those who signed were Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.; Senator Antonio Trillanes IV; Former senator Serge Osmeña, Lieutenant General Romeo Dominguez, former chief of the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces; Renato Constantino Jr; film producers Armida Siguion-Reyna and Bibeth Orteza; Bishop Leo Alconga of the Philippines for Jesus Movement; former ambassador Roy Señeres; columnists Conrado de Quiros (Philippine Daily Inquirer), Ellen Tordesillas (Malaya); and lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines-College of Law.
The group said a snap elections was the most viable option to “re-establish democracy.”
The manifesto was issued following a series of scandals involving the administration, which include allegations of bribery, corruption, poll fraud, and human rights violations, among others.
The manifesto also called on the public to sign an online petition at www.petitiononline.com/snap08.
The manifesto stated that although the Chief Justice could lead a “caretaker government” should Arroyo and De Castro leave their posts, it would still be “a patently erroneous” option.
"The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA [Arroyo’s initials] and Noli De Castro to resign...[because] it passes the test of constitutionality," according to the manifesto.
"The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA [Arroyo’s initial] and Noli De Castro to resign...[because] it passes the test of constitutionality," according to the manifesto.
In a press conference at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City, the groups behind the manifesto also said the current impeachment complaint filed at the House of Representatives was not a feasible way to remove Arroyo from the presidency.
"We recognize any and all efforts to oust the present administration but, based on our frank assessment, impeachment faces an uphill battle. We all know impeachment is a numbers game," said Argee Guevarra of the All Reform Movement of Lawyers organization, adding that the current complaint was a weak one.
And while the petition seeks many signatories, the group clarified they do not have a target number and that they do not intend to submit the manifesto the Office of the President or Office of the Vice-president.
"We are a diverse group of organizations and we all know prior to this there are several individual campaigns working for Arroyo's ouster…this petition is not an appeal to Arroyo's conscience but this is meant to awaken people," said Guevarra.
Most of the convenors are known allies of former president Joseph Estrada who said he had no hand in the petition. Among them are Rez Cortez, head of the National Council of Concerned Volunteers; Jose “Linggoy” Alcuaz, assistant director of the Oust Gloria Coalition, and Ver Eustaquio of the Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice..
Since Estrada was granted executive clemency last October 25, he has backed away from calls for Arroyo’s ouster.
Eustaquio said he was confident Estrada will always side with the masses, even if he has distanced himself from calls for Arroyo's resignation."We are not speaking in behalf of Erap [Estrada’s nickname] but when Erap said his fight against poverty has to continue, we knew he would never leave us, he would never leave the masses," Eustaquio said.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Presscon-Launching, November 7, 2007, Manila Polo Club
Panelists (R-L): Ambassador Gualberto Lumauig, Marietta Primicias-Goco, Atty. Argee Guevarra, Atty Luis Sison, Linggoy Alcuaz, Jun Kintanar, Atty. Ramon Pedrosa, Ambassador Roy Seneres, Sonny Rivera, Ver Eustaquio, Rez Cortez, Abner Afuang
Panelists (R-L): Atty. Argee Guevarra, Atty Luis Sison, Linggoy Alcuaz, Jun Kintanar, Atty. Ramon Pedrosa, Ambassador Roy Seneres, Sonny Rivera, Ver Eustaquio
ADDITIONAL SIGNATORIES TO THE MANIFESTO
Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro and for the Holding of Special (“Snap”) Elections within 60 Days
BISHOP DEOGRACIAS INIGUEZ
Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)
AMBASSADOR GUALBERTO LUMAUIG
Convenor, Advocates for Good Governance
Former Lakas Spokesman and Presidential Adviser for Asia Pacific Affairs
JERRY TAN
Professor, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)
RAUL DE GUZMAN
Professor Emeritus, Public Administration and Governance
University of the Philippines (UP)
PATRICIA SISON
Professor, De La Salle University (DLSU)
HERMAN LAUREL
Sulo ng Pilipino
Columnist, The Daily Tribune
ROD KAPUNAN
Columnist, The Daily Tribune
ABNER AFUANG
Columnist, Hataw and People's Lider
SONNY RIVERA
Lead Convenor, Trillanes Paglingkuring Movement (TPM)
JAYBEE ANCHETA
Concerned Citizens Group (CCG)
PENDATUM DISIMBAN
President, Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association
FERNANDO MELENDRES
Chairman, Andres Bonifacio Nationalist Movement
BISHOP DEOGRACIAS INIGUEZ
Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)
AMBASSADOR GUALBERTO LUMAUIG
Convenor, Advocates for Good Governance
Former Lakas Spokesman and Presidential Adviser for Asia Pacific Affairs
JERRY TAN
Professor, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)
RAUL DE GUZMAN
Professor Emeritus, Public Administration and Governance
University of the Philippines (UP)
PATRICIA SISON
Professor, De La Salle University (DLSU)
HERMAN LAUREL
Sulo ng Pilipino
Columnist, The Daily Tribune
ROD KAPUNAN
Columnist, The Daily Tribune
ABNER AFUANG
Columnist, Hataw and People's Lider
SONNY RIVERA
Lead Convenor, Trillanes Paglingkuring Movement (TPM)
JAYBEE ANCHETA
Concerned Citizens Group (CCG)
PENDATUM DISIMBAN
President, Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association
FERNANDO MELENDRES
Chairman, Andres Bonifacio Nationalist Movement
Sunday, October 28, 2007
INITIAL SIGNATORIES TO THE MANIFESTO
Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro and for the Holding of Special (“Snap”) Elections within 60 Days
AQUILINO PIMENTEL, JR.
Senator
ANTONIO F. TRILLANES IV
Senator
SERGE OSMENA
Former Senator
PASTOR DOMENG RIVERA
Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM)
LT. GEN. RAUL URGELLO
Soldiers and Police for Peace and Progress (SPP)
Former Commanding General, Philippine Army
LT. GEN. ROMEO DOMINGUEZ
Soldiers and Police for Peace and Progress (SPP)
Former Commanding General, North Luzon Command, AFP
ATTY. JOSEFINA LICHAUCO
Former Transportation and Communications Secretary
ATTY. RAMON PEDROSA
Chairman, Be Not Afraid Movement (BNA)
ATTY. LUIS SISON
Spokesman, Bangon Pilipinas
Chairman, Development Consultants Network, Inc.
AMBASSADOR ROY SENERES
Convenor, Mga Mandirigma laban sa mga Ganid, Mandaraya at Abusado (MANDIRI GMA)
Former Ambassador
MARIETTA PRIMICIAS GOCO
Co-Convenor, Unity for Truth and Justice
Co-Convenor, Solidarity Movement
Chairperson, Magnificat Movement
RENATO CONSTANTINO, JR.
AMADO MACASAET
Journalist
NICK QUIJANO
Journalist
CONRADO DE QUIROS
Columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer
ELLEN TORDESILLAS
Columnist, Malaya and Abante
CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
Reporter, NHK
MINNIE ADVINCULA
Malaya
MA. TERESA MOLINA
Malaya
RAQUEL DAWAL
MPC
VENUS TANDOC
MPC
ARMIDA SIGUION-REYNA
Singer/Actor/Producer
BIBETH ORTEZA
Film/Tv Writer
PASTOR BOY SAYCON
Businessman
BUTCH ALBERT
Businessman
BENJAMIN CO
Businessman
ATTY. HARRY ROQUE
College of Law, University of the Philippines
ATTY. ARGEE GUEVARRA
All Reform Movement of Lawyers (ARM of Lawyers)
AMADO GAT INCIONG
Movement of Citizens for Civil Liberties (MCCL)
ALAIN DEL PASCUA
President, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KAAKBAY)
PATRICK PANTALEON
President, La Salle Ateneo at Lahat na
DULCE CEPEDA
Co-Convenor, Middle Forces
Co-Convenor, Trillanes Paglingkurin Movement
DR. JACQUELINE SANCHEZ
Sulo ng Pilipino
ZAIDA REYES
Sulo ng Pilipino
JOEY NAVARRETE
KAMAG-ARAL
ERNING OFRACIO
Kilusan para sa Makatarungang Lipunan at Goberno (KMLG)
J.L. LINGGOY ALCUAZ
Assistant Coordinator, Oust Gloria Coalition (OGC)
BUDDY GARBANZOS
President
Justice, Economy, Environment and Peace (JEEP)
RONALD LUMBAO
Chairman
People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP)
VER EUSTAQUIO
Chairman
Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice (UMDJ)
REZ CORTEZ
National Council of Concerned Volunteers (NCCV-FPJ)
MANUEL PORTES
Chairman, Food, Peace and Justice Movement (FPJM)
DAGGY COPRADO
KaSaMa-Pilipinas
JOSE PETE ARCE
Chairman, Kalayaan, Katarungan, Kasaganaan para sa Masa (KKAKASA)
MANUEL TOLENTINO, JR.
President, Katipunan ng mga Barangay Tanod ng Pilipinas (KABATA)
P.B. KINTANAR, JR.
APO Service
RIC SERRANO
Tau Gamma Phi Alumni
ED OREDINA
President, Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA)
MANUEL ARIAS
President, National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU)
LITO RALLISTAN
President, Association of Democratic Labor Organizations (ADLO)
JUN SORIANO
Chairman, Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS)
BUTCH PENA
Vice President, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO)
ROMMEL ZAMBRANO
General Secretary, Solidarity of Independent and General Labor Organizations (SIGLO)
DAVID DIWA
President, National Labor Union (NLU)
HENRI KHAN
As of 26 October 2007
AQUILINO PIMENTEL, JR.
Senator
ANTONIO F. TRILLANES IV
Senator
SERGE OSMENA
Former Senator
PASTOR DOMENG RIVERA
Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM)
LT. GEN. RAUL URGELLO
Soldiers and Police for Peace and Progress (SPP)
Former Commanding General, Philippine Army
LT. GEN. ROMEO DOMINGUEZ
Soldiers and Police for Peace and Progress (SPP)
Former Commanding General, North Luzon Command, AFP
ATTY. JOSEFINA LICHAUCO
Former Transportation and Communications Secretary
ATTY. RAMON PEDROSA
Chairman, Be Not Afraid Movement (BNA)
ATTY. LUIS SISON
Spokesman, Bangon Pilipinas
Chairman, Development Consultants Network, Inc.
AMBASSADOR ROY SENERES
Convenor, Mga Mandirigma laban sa mga Ganid, Mandaraya at Abusado (MANDIRI GMA)
Former Ambassador
MARIETTA PRIMICIAS GOCO
Co-Convenor, Unity for Truth and Justice
Co-Convenor, Solidarity Movement
Chairperson, Magnificat Movement
RENATO CONSTANTINO, JR.
AMADO MACASAET
Journalist
NICK QUIJANO
Journalist
CONRADO DE QUIROS
Columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer
ELLEN TORDESILLAS
Columnist, Malaya and Abante
CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
Reporter, NHK
MINNIE ADVINCULA
Malaya
MA. TERESA MOLINA
Malaya
RAQUEL DAWAL
MPC
VENUS TANDOC
MPC
ARMIDA SIGUION-REYNA
Singer/Actor/Producer
BIBETH ORTEZA
Film/Tv Writer
PASTOR BOY SAYCON
Businessman
BUTCH ALBERT
Businessman
BENJAMIN CO
Businessman
ATTY. HARRY ROQUE
College of Law, University of the Philippines
ATTY. ARGEE GUEVARRA
All Reform Movement of Lawyers (ARM of Lawyers)
AMADO GAT INCIONG
Movement of Citizens for Civil Liberties (MCCL)
ALAIN DEL PASCUA
President, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KAAKBAY)
PATRICK PANTALEON
President, La Salle Ateneo at Lahat na
DULCE CEPEDA
Co-Convenor, Middle Forces
Co-Convenor, Trillanes Paglingkurin Movement
DR. JACQUELINE SANCHEZ
Sulo ng Pilipino
ZAIDA REYES
Sulo ng Pilipino
JOEY NAVARRETE
KAMAG-ARAL
ERNING OFRACIO
Kilusan para sa Makatarungang Lipunan at Goberno (KMLG)
J.L. LINGGOY ALCUAZ
Assistant Coordinator, Oust Gloria Coalition (OGC)
BUDDY GARBANZOS
President
Justice, Economy, Environment and Peace (JEEP)
RONALD LUMBAO
Chairman
People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP)
VER EUSTAQUIO
Chairman
Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice (UMDJ)
REZ CORTEZ
National Council of Concerned Volunteers (NCCV-FPJ)
MANUEL PORTES
Chairman, Food, Peace and Justice Movement (FPJM)
DAGGY COPRADO
KaSaMa-Pilipinas
JOSE PETE ARCE
Chairman, Kalayaan, Katarungan, Kasaganaan para sa Masa (KKAKASA)
MANUEL TOLENTINO, JR.
President, Katipunan ng mga Barangay Tanod ng Pilipinas (KABATA)
P.B. KINTANAR, JR.
APO Service
RIC SERRANO
Tau Gamma Phi Alumni
ED OREDINA
President, Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA)
MANUEL ARIAS
President, National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU)
LITO RALLISTAN
President, Association of Democratic Labor Organizations (ADLO)
JUN SORIANO
Chairman, Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS)
BUTCH PENA
Vice President, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO)
ROMMEL ZAMBRANO
General Secretary, Solidarity of Independent and General Labor Organizations (SIGLO)
DAVID DIWA
President, National Labor Union (NLU)
HENRI KHAN
As of 26 October 2007
Online petition sa pagbibitiw ni Arroyo, de Castro umigting
ABS-CBN News 10/27/07
Matapos makalaya si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada nitong Biyernes, umakyat pa ang bilang ng mga pumirma sa online petition para patalsikin si Pangulong Arroyo at Vice President Noli de Castro kasabay sa pagtatawag ng isang snap elections.
Nitong Biyernes, nasa 340 ang lumagda sa isang online petition para sa isang snap elections at pagbibitiw nina Pangulong Arroyo at de Castro.
Pagkalaya ni dating pangulong Estrada, tumaas ang bilang sa 525.
Isang grupong binubuo ng mga civil society leaders ang nagsu
sulong ng kahilingang ito.
Nakuha na nila ang suporta ni Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
“Importante ito para magkaroon ng at least bagong pangulo at matatahimik siguro ang bansa for the moment,” ani Pimentel.
Pero para kay dating vice president Teofisto Guingona na ilang beses na ring nagtawag ng pagbibitiw ni Pangulong Arroyo, ibang usapan na ang snap elections dahil may malinaw na prosesong dapat muna nitong pagdaanan.
Ayaw nang patulan ni de Castro ang panawagan.
Pero para sa isang ordinaryong Pilipinong madalas nagiging piping testigo na lang sa mga rigodon sa pulitika hindi na ito dapat pagkaabalahan pa.
“Huwag na. Pampagulo lang iyon eh. Iyon ngang barangay elections ang gulu-gulo di lalo na kung biglaang eleksyon ng pangulo. Hindi na,” anang isang ginang sa panayam ng TV Patrol Sabado.
Matapos makalaya si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada nitong Biyernes, umakyat pa ang bilang ng mga pumirma sa online petition para patalsikin si Pangulong Arroyo at Vice President Noli de Castro kasabay sa pagtatawag ng isang snap elections.
Nitong Biyernes, nasa 340 ang lumagda sa isang online petition para sa isang snap elections at pagbibitiw nina Pangulong Arroyo at de Castro.
Pagkalaya ni dating pangulong Estrada, tumaas ang bilang sa 525.
Isang grupong binubuo ng mga civil society leaders ang nagsu
sulong ng kahilingang ito.
Nakuha na nila ang suporta ni Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
“Importante ito para magkaroon ng at least bagong pangulo at matatahimik siguro ang bansa for the moment,” ani Pimentel.
Pero para kay dating vice president Teofisto Guingona na ilang beses na ring nagtawag ng pagbibitiw ni Pangulong Arroyo, ibang usapan na ang snap elections dahil may malinaw na prosesong dapat muna nitong pagdaanan.
Ayaw nang patulan ni de Castro ang panawagan.
Pero para sa isang ordinaryong Pilipinong madalas nagiging piping testigo na lang sa mga rigodon sa pulitika hindi na ito dapat pagkaabalahan pa.
“Huwag na. Pampagulo lang iyon eh. Iyon ngang barangay elections ang gulu-gulo di lalo na kung biglaang eleksyon ng pangulo. Hindi na,” anang isang ginang sa panayam ng TV Patrol Sabado.
Trillanes kicks off online petition for Arroyo, Noli resignations; snap polls
Inquirer, 10/25/2007 11:37 PM
A petition is now circulating online for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr., with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV kicking off the signature drive.The petition, started last Sunday by "Juan de la Cruz" on the Web site PetitionOnline , also called for the holding of special "snap" elections within 60 days.
"Because of the numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration, including but not limited to the 'Hello Garci' Election controversy, the ZTE, North Rail Project, Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest Malacañang bribery Incident, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country," the petition read.
The petition said Mrs Arroyo has lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration.
On the other hand, it said De Castro benefited from the cheating perpetrated in the May 2004 elections and is also considered to be a "silent partner" in the alleged crime of Mrs Arroyo.De Castro was rapped "not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for [Mrs Arroyo] but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the [administration]."
It also said the impeachment case filed by personalities connected with Malacañang effectively sabotaged and ridiculed the impeachment process."The only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for [Arroyo] and Noli De Castro to resign from their respective positions as President and Vice-President, of the Republic of the Philippines," it said.
The petition cited Sec. 10 of the 1987 Constitution where "Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call."
The petitioners called upon Arroyo and de Castro "to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions as President and Vice-President of the Philippines."
As of 7:50 p.m. Thursday, four petitioners other than Trillanes had signed the petition, including two overseas Filipino workers based in Saudi Arabia. - GMANews.TV
A petition is now circulating online for the immediate resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr., with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV kicking off the signature drive.The petition, started last Sunday by "Juan de la Cruz" on the Web site PetitionOnline , also called for the holding of special "snap" elections within 60 days.
"Because of the numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration, including but not limited to the 'Hello Garci' Election controversy, the ZTE, North Rail Project, Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest Malacañang bribery Incident, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country," the petition read.
The petition said Mrs Arroyo has lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration.
On the other hand, it said De Castro benefited from the cheating perpetrated in the May 2004 elections and is also considered to be a "silent partner" in the alleged crime of Mrs Arroyo.De Castro was rapped "not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for [Mrs Arroyo] but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the [administration]."
It also said the impeachment case filed by personalities connected with Malacañang effectively sabotaged and ridiculed the impeachment process."The only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for [Arroyo] and Noli De Castro to resign from their respective positions as President and Vice-President, of the Republic of the Philippines," it said.
The petition cited Sec. 10 of the 1987 Constitution where "Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call."
The petitioners called upon Arroyo and de Castro "to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions as President and Vice-President of the Philippines."
As of 7:50 p.m. Thursday, four petitioners other than Trillanes had signed the petition, including two overseas Filipino workers based in Saudi Arabia. - GMANews.TV
Panahon na para mag snap election
Ellen Tordesillas, Abante
Ang sitwasyon ni Gloria ngayon ay para siyang nahulog sa kumunoy (quicksand). Hindi siya maa-aring kumilos. Bawat kilos niya ay lalong nagpapalubog sa kanya.
Apat na araw na ang nakalipas at wala pang kongkretong hawak ang mga imbestigador kung sino ang may kagagagawan ng karumal-dumal na krimen kung saan 11 ang namatay at sobra 120 ang nasugatan.
Ngunit sa mga pahayag ni Arroyo at ng kanyang mga opisyal, hindi naa-alis ang suspetsa ng mga tao na kagagawan nila ito para matabunan ang maraming kontrobersiya na kanyang nakakasangkutan.Ang kinatatakutan ng marami ay baka gamitin ito ni Arroyo at ng kanyang mga utak pulbura na mga alagad na rason para itulak ang mas marahas na pamamalakad katulad ng martial law kahit hindi niya tawagin ng ganyan.
Binubuhay ngayon ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV ang panawagan para mag-snap election. Sa isang manifesto na kumakalat ngayon, nananawagan si Trillanes na mag-resign si Arroyo at si Vice President Noli de Castro para magkaroon ng election sa loob ng 60 days.
Sabi ni Trillanes ito lamang ang mapayapang paraan na maayos ang ating problema na pampulitika sa bansa. Ang dami-daming eskandalo ang nakapulapol kay Arroyo. Nandiyan ang Hello garci, ZTE, North Rail, Diosdado Macapagal Highway, Joc-joc Bolante Fertelizer scam, Jose Pidal, extra-judicial killings, at Malacañang bribery.
Wala ng nagre-respeto at naniniwala kay Arroyo. Hindi na siya maaring mamahala.
May mga nanawagan na mag-resign si Arroyo at hayaan si De Castro na mamahala sa bansa hanggang 2010. Sabi ni Trillanes, nakinabang si De Castro sa pandaraya noong 2004 na eleksyon at hidni siya kumibo sa gitna nitong mga eskandalo. Kaya wala na rin siyang moral authority para mamahala.
Sa akin, pasensiyahan ko sana ni De Castro kahit hindi marunong mag-English at mukhang hindi rin talaga nakakaintindi sa mga isyu. Ang ayaw ko sa kanya at ang pagpayag niya na gamitin sa pagtatakip ng mga katiwalian.
Mula ng lumabas ang Hello Garci scandal noong 2005, mahaba ang panahon para magdesisyon si De Castro kung ipaglaban niya ang katotohanan at hustisya o papagamit siya siya para matagao ang mga bagay na bilang broadcaster ay dapat niyang protektahan at pa-igtingin. Mas pinili niya ang magbibingi-an at magbulag-bulagan.Bakit naman tayo magkaroon ng radikal na pagbabago tapos ang ilalagay lang naman natin ay isang hindi nakipag-laban para sa katotohanan at hustisya. Nagsasayang lang tayo ng pagod.
Kaya suportahan natin itong panawagan ni Sen. Trillanes para mag-snap election.
Ang sitwasyon ni Gloria ngayon ay para siyang nahulog sa kumunoy (quicksand). Hindi siya maa-aring kumilos. Bawat kilos niya ay lalong nagpapalubog sa kanya.
Apat na araw na ang nakalipas at wala pang kongkretong hawak ang mga imbestigador kung sino ang may kagagagawan ng karumal-dumal na krimen kung saan 11 ang namatay at sobra 120 ang nasugatan.
Ngunit sa mga pahayag ni Arroyo at ng kanyang mga opisyal, hindi naa-alis ang suspetsa ng mga tao na kagagawan nila ito para matabunan ang maraming kontrobersiya na kanyang nakakasangkutan.Ang kinatatakutan ng marami ay baka gamitin ito ni Arroyo at ng kanyang mga utak pulbura na mga alagad na rason para itulak ang mas marahas na pamamalakad katulad ng martial law kahit hindi niya tawagin ng ganyan.
Binubuhay ngayon ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV ang panawagan para mag-snap election. Sa isang manifesto na kumakalat ngayon, nananawagan si Trillanes na mag-resign si Arroyo at si Vice President Noli de Castro para magkaroon ng election sa loob ng 60 days.
Sabi ni Trillanes ito lamang ang mapayapang paraan na maayos ang ating problema na pampulitika sa bansa. Ang dami-daming eskandalo ang nakapulapol kay Arroyo. Nandiyan ang Hello garci, ZTE, North Rail, Diosdado Macapagal Highway, Joc-joc Bolante Fertelizer scam, Jose Pidal, extra-judicial killings, at Malacañang bribery.
Wala ng nagre-respeto at naniniwala kay Arroyo. Hindi na siya maaring mamahala.
May mga nanawagan na mag-resign si Arroyo at hayaan si De Castro na mamahala sa bansa hanggang 2010. Sabi ni Trillanes, nakinabang si De Castro sa pandaraya noong 2004 na eleksyon at hidni siya kumibo sa gitna nitong mga eskandalo. Kaya wala na rin siyang moral authority para mamahala.
Sa akin, pasensiyahan ko sana ni De Castro kahit hindi marunong mag-English at mukhang hindi rin talaga nakakaintindi sa mga isyu. Ang ayaw ko sa kanya at ang pagpayag niya na gamitin sa pagtatakip ng mga katiwalian.
Mula ng lumabas ang Hello Garci scandal noong 2005, mahaba ang panahon para magdesisyon si De Castro kung ipaglaban niya ang katotohanan at hustisya o papagamit siya siya para matagao ang mga bagay na bilang broadcaster ay dapat niyang protektahan at pa-igtingin. Mas pinili niya ang magbibingi-an at magbulag-bulagan.Bakit naman tayo magkaroon ng radikal na pagbabago tapos ang ilalagay lang naman natin ay isang hindi nakipag-laban para sa katotohanan at hustisya. Nagsasayang lang tayo ng pagod.
Kaya suportahan natin itong panawagan ni Sen. Trillanes para mag-snap election.
Again, Snap Elections
Conrado de Quiros, Inquirer
Antonio Trillanes -- Senator to you and me -- has a petition. That petition calls for a snap election to resolve today’s political and moral impasse and allow the country to truly move on. I saw it last Monday and I had no problem affixing my signature to it.
The reason for that is simply that I myself have been calling for snap elections for years now. I called for it shortly after the “Hello Garci” tape surfaced, saying that if our problem was that we did not have a real president, then the solution was to have one, which could only happen with snap elections. I called for it when the congressmen, led by Jose de Venecia before adversity caused him to experience a change of heart, such as he is rumored to have one, were busy killing the impeachment bids. I asked why our congressmen should hold the national interest hostage to their greed and we felt powerless to do anything about it.
I called for it when De Venecia was trying to ram Charter change down our throats while citing the many virtues of parliamentary rule like the devil quoting Scripture to suit his purposes. I said merely opposing Charter change was being purely defensive, the point was not to change the Charter but the Usurper -- the Charter was genuine, the Usurper was fake.
I called for it when everyone was debating the virtues and vices of a military coup, however it was called, withdrawal or strike. I said there was already a coup regime in place, one wrought by ballot rather than by bullet, the point was still snap election to render the illegitimate legitimate.
The objections to my proposal were: one, it would present no end of legal tangles; and, two, the question of “succession” should be debated only after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was gone. The point was how she might be made to go.
The first by no means presents an insurmountable problem. It’s not only that in this country where there’s a will there’s a way -- and correspondingly, as shown by Congress and impeachment, where there’s no will there’s no way -- it’s also that in this country where there’s a way there’s a will. Nothing shows that better than Arroyo. The fact that Joseph Estrada was an elected president, and the most popularly elected president at that, did not pose a problem to the Supreme Court when he was ousted by People Power. And rightly so: The law is nothing more or less than the expression of the people’s will. Where that will is manifested directly and clearly, it overrules the statutes written in parchment. Where a universal, or a near-universal, demand for a snap election is made by the people, it becomes law. Or more to the point, it commands a law to come forth in support of it. Chief Justice Hilario Davide had no problem finding one to proclaim Arroyo as Estrada’s successor.
The second objection merely shows lack of imagination. A snap election is not something you should think about only after you have formulated a strategy to oust a usurper, it should be the very core of your strategy to oust a usurper. True enough, a snap election can happen only after a usurper is ousted, but the call for a snap election can, and should, happen to oust a usurper. If it is a popular call, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be if made the object of a campaign, complete with the call for civil disobedience if left unheeded, then it becomes the very instrument to pry loose the fingers of someone clinging unlawfully, unreasonably, indeed madly, to the throne. Snap elections are not an afterthought, they are an aforethought.
It is superior in every respect to any other strategy to free this country. At the very least, it goes to the heart of the problem, which is legitimacy. All other things are derivative. Even the killings: You are illegitimate, you will use coercion to keep power, including slaughtering the innocents. Even the corruption: You think nothing of stealing the vote, you will think nothing of stealing the tax. You cheat in elections -- and you can’t have a more monumental case of it than “Hello Garci” -- you void your claim to any position, whatever the tally shows. Hell, you void your claim to freedom. You have not earned a berth in Malacañang, you have earned a cot in Muntinlupa.
At the very most, it should put to rest a seemingly formidable question but which is really the easiest thing to answer. That question is: What is your alternative to Arroyo? Or, who do you want to be there instead of Arroyo? My answer is simple: My alternative to Arroyo is the one the voters vote for. The one I want there instead of Arroyo is the one the voters vote for.
The question, “Who do you want in place of Arroyo?” is not a thorny one, it is an idiotic one. Or have we forgotten that we are supposed to be a democracy? If the problem is that Arroyo is a fake president, then the solution is to have a genuine president. It’s the other strategies that are secondary or derivative. Whether the path to make Arroyo go away is people power, civil disobedience, a military strike, to annoy her with text jokes, or all of the above, each one will still have to reckon with elections. Or else the successor will be an illegitimate one as well.
While at this, it also solves the problem of who that successor will be, or should be. It can neither be Noli de Castro nor Reynato Puno, other than in a (very) brief capacity as overseer of snap elections. Arroyo succeeded Estrada constitutionally because the presidency was vacated by an act of People Power, De Castro cannot succeed Arroyo constitutionally because the presidency has not been occupied since May 2004 by an act of Hello Kitty. However long and winding the procession is, as a local saying goes, it still ends up in church. However varied and tortuous the strategizing goes, it still ends up in one thing:
Snap elections.
Antonio Trillanes -- Senator to you and me -- has a petition. That petition calls for a snap election to resolve today’s political and moral impasse and allow the country to truly move on. I saw it last Monday and I had no problem affixing my signature to it.
The reason for that is simply that I myself have been calling for snap elections for years now. I called for it shortly after the “Hello Garci” tape surfaced, saying that if our problem was that we did not have a real president, then the solution was to have one, which could only happen with snap elections. I called for it when the congressmen, led by Jose de Venecia before adversity caused him to experience a change of heart, such as he is rumored to have one, were busy killing the impeachment bids. I asked why our congressmen should hold the national interest hostage to their greed and we felt powerless to do anything about it.
I called for it when De Venecia was trying to ram Charter change down our throats while citing the many virtues of parliamentary rule like the devil quoting Scripture to suit his purposes. I said merely opposing Charter change was being purely defensive, the point was not to change the Charter but the Usurper -- the Charter was genuine, the Usurper was fake.
I called for it when everyone was debating the virtues and vices of a military coup, however it was called, withdrawal or strike. I said there was already a coup regime in place, one wrought by ballot rather than by bullet, the point was still snap election to render the illegitimate legitimate.
The objections to my proposal were: one, it would present no end of legal tangles; and, two, the question of “succession” should be debated only after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was gone. The point was how she might be made to go.
The first by no means presents an insurmountable problem. It’s not only that in this country where there’s a will there’s a way -- and correspondingly, as shown by Congress and impeachment, where there’s no will there’s no way -- it’s also that in this country where there’s a way there’s a will. Nothing shows that better than Arroyo. The fact that Joseph Estrada was an elected president, and the most popularly elected president at that, did not pose a problem to the Supreme Court when he was ousted by People Power. And rightly so: The law is nothing more or less than the expression of the people’s will. Where that will is manifested directly and clearly, it overrules the statutes written in parchment. Where a universal, or a near-universal, demand for a snap election is made by the people, it becomes law. Or more to the point, it commands a law to come forth in support of it. Chief Justice Hilario Davide had no problem finding one to proclaim Arroyo as Estrada’s successor.
The second objection merely shows lack of imagination. A snap election is not something you should think about only after you have formulated a strategy to oust a usurper, it should be the very core of your strategy to oust a usurper. True enough, a snap election can happen only after a usurper is ousted, but the call for a snap election can, and should, happen to oust a usurper. If it is a popular call, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be if made the object of a campaign, complete with the call for civil disobedience if left unheeded, then it becomes the very instrument to pry loose the fingers of someone clinging unlawfully, unreasonably, indeed madly, to the throne. Snap elections are not an afterthought, they are an aforethought.
It is superior in every respect to any other strategy to free this country. At the very least, it goes to the heart of the problem, which is legitimacy. All other things are derivative. Even the killings: You are illegitimate, you will use coercion to keep power, including slaughtering the innocents. Even the corruption: You think nothing of stealing the vote, you will think nothing of stealing the tax. You cheat in elections -- and you can’t have a more monumental case of it than “Hello Garci” -- you void your claim to any position, whatever the tally shows. Hell, you void your claim to freedom. You have not earned a berth in Malacañang, you have earned a cot in Muntinlupa.
At the very most, it should put to rest a seemingly formidable question but which is really the easiest thing to answer. That question is: What is your alternative to Arroyo? Or, who do you want to be there instead of Arroyo? My answer is simple: My alternative to Arroyo is the one the voters vote for. The one I want there instead of Arroyo is the one the voters vote for.
The question, “Who do you want in place of Arroyo?” is not a thorny one, it is an idiotic one. Or have we forgotten that we are supposed to be a democracy? If the problem is that Arroyo is a fake president, then the solution is to have a genuine president. It’s the other strategies that are secondary or derivative. Whether the path to make Arroyo go away is people power, civil disobedience, a military strike, to annoy her with text jokes, or all of the above, each one will still have to reckon with elections. Or else the successor will be an illegitimate one as well.
While at this, it also solves the problem of who that successor will be, or should be. It can neither be Noli de Castro nor Reynato Puno, other than in a (very) brief capacity as overseer of snap elections. Arroyo succeeded Estrada constitutionally because the presidency was vacated by an act of People Power, De Castro cannot succeed Arroyo constitutionally because the presidency has not been occupied since May 2004 by an act of Hello Kitty. However long and winding the procession is, as a local saying goes, it still ends up in church. However varied and tortuous the strategizing goes, it still ends up in one thing:
Snap elections.
Manifeto Calling for the Immediate Resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Aroyo and Noli de Castro and for the holding of Special Elections within 60 Days!
WHEREAS, because of the numerous unresolved scandals involving the present administration, including but not limited to the “Hello Garci” Election controversy, the ZTE , North Rail Project, Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, the Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, hundreds of unresolved extra-judicial killings and the latest Malacañang Bribery Incident, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country;
WHEREAS, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyohas lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration, as consistently shown by survey after survey conducted by reputable polling entities;
WHEREAS, Noli De Castro is a member of the Arroyo cabinet and is a beneficiary of the cheating perpetrated during the May 2004 Elections and is also considered to be a silent partner in crime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the Arroyo regime;
WHEREAS, the sham impeachment case filed by personalities connected with Malacanang effectively sabotages and ridicules the impeachment process;
WHEREAS, the only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli De Castro to resign from their respective positions as President and Vice-President, of the Republic of the Philippines;
WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution, under Section 10, Article VII, expressly provides that:
“Sec. 10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call. Xxx.”
NOW, WHEREFORE, We the undersigned citizens, taxpayers and voters of the Republic of the Philippines, in our capacity as the true sovereign of the Nation, DO HEREBY:
1. Call upon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli De Castro to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions as President and Vice-President of the Philippines;
2. Demand the holding of a Special Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election within Sixty (60) Days from the date of the resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro, pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution;
May God bless our Great Nation!
DONE in Metro Manila, Philippines on this 21st day of October 2007.
WHEREAS, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyohas lost public sympathy and support in the light of her tainted electoral mandate and her responsibility for the numerous controversies hounding her administration, as consistently shown by survey after survey conducted by reputable polling entities;
WHEREAS, Noli De Castro is a member of the Arroyo cabinet and is a beneficiary of the cheating perpetrated during the May 2004 Elections and is also considered to be a silent partner in crime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not only because of his close personal association and unflinching support for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but also because of his failure to stand-up against and denounce the abuses and excesses of the Arroyo regime;
WHEREAS, the sham impeachment case filed by personalities connected with Malacanang effectively sabotages and ridicules the impeachment process;
WHEREAS, the only peaceful, legal and constitutional option available to the Nation under the circumstances and to prevent the situation from developing into a full-scale conflict or civil strife is for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli De Castro to resign from their respective positions as President and Vice-President, of the Republic of the Philippines;
WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution, under Section 10, Article VII, expressly provides that:
“Sec. 10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call. Xxx.”
NOW, WHEREFORE, We the undersigned citizens, taxpayers and voters of the Republic of the Philippines, in our capacity as the true sovereign of the Nation, DO HEREBY:
1. Call upon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli De Castro to spare the country from further turmoil and violence by immediately resigning from their respective positions as President and Vice-President of the Philippines;
2. Demand the holding of a Special Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election within Sixty (60) Days from the date of the resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro, pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution;
May God bless our Great Nation!
DONE in Metro Manila, Philippines on this 21st day of October 2007.
Special Election or a Caretaker Government?
The time we have been waiting for has come. Gloria and Noli must go for the benefit of our people and the country and even for their own sake.
Renewed calls for Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign or face another impeachment try has put her on the defensive making the survival of her administration contingent on the support of the military and on a day-to-day basis. At no time since the “Hello Garci” scandal had the President been linked directly to acts of bribery, corruption and betrayal of public trust. The talk is no longer whether GMA should finish her term in 2010 but rather how to put an end to a graft-ridden and utterly immoral regime that no longer deserves to stay a day longer in office. Together with the people, we must find a way to remove her from office this year or early next year in a manner that is constitutional, peaceful, democratic and orderly.
One option is to conduct a presidential special election next year on in 2008 as provided for under the Constitution. If this fails, PGMA and her vice-president will have the luxury of finishing their term until 2010. This means two more years of governance that cannot but bring to our country dishonor, destitution and ruin.
Under the Constitution, no special election may be called eighteen months before the date of the next presidential election. Section 8, Article VII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides thus:
“Sec. 8. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office or resignation of the President, the Vice President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office or the resignation of both the President and the Vice-President, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall then act as President until the President or Vice President shall have been elected and qualified.” (Underscoring supplied).
Section 10 of Article VII provides for an orderly procedure for the holding of a snap or special election to fill up a vacancy resulting from the resignation of both the president and vice-president, thus:
“Sec.10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call. The bill calling such special election shall be deemed certified under paragraph 2, Section 26, Article VI of this Constitution and shall become law upon its approval on third reading by the Congress. Appropriations for the special elections shall be charged against any current appropriations and shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraph 4, Section 25, Article VI of this Constitution. The convening of the Congress cannot be suspended nor the special election postponed. No special election shall be called if the vacancy occurs within eighteen months before the date of the next election. (Underscoring supplied).
The other option is to remove both the president and the vice president by force and forthwith install a “caretaker” government. This has been tried many times before but so far have not been quite successful.
This is not to say however that we will discourage the people from expressing their outrage by other means. This has happened before there is no reason why it cannot be done again. The point is, this government must go by all means possible- whether by a constitutional or an extra-constitutional means. This government has committed such abuse of power as to allow the people the right to employ any means necessary for the redress of their grievances.
Holding a special election is allowed under our Constitution; putting up a “caretaker” government is not and will require the use of “extra constitutional” means of ousting the president and her vice-president. All that is needed to hold a special election is for the presidential and vice-presidential office to be vacated by resignation. Forcing the president and vice-president to resign therefore is all that is needed for a constitutional and peaceful transfer of power. If the president does not resign the only remaining option, barring a fatal heart attack, is removal from office either by way of an impeachment or extra-constitutional means like a power grab.
We must take the constitutional route. The task of the day is to force the president and the vice-president to resign before the end of the year! The onset of the Christmas season is not an argument against launching a vigorous campaign to oust GMA. The most damaging coup ever mounted against then Pres. Cory Aquino took place the first week of December 1987. The testimony of banker Clarisa Ocampo at the impeachment trial on December 23, 2000 led to the ouster of former Pres. Erap roughly one month later. Former Pres. Marcos’ announcement in November 1985 to hold a “snap election” prompted the opposition to prepare for the presidential elections that precipitated the fall of the dictator in February the following year. National hero Jose Rizal was executed on the last day of December whose death ushered in the Revolution of 1898. The months of November and December is a good month as any to start a campaign to change the government or install a new order.
Asking the president and her vice-president to resign is not an easy task. History tells us that no dictator or corrupt leader ever surrendered power so easily. Only public pressure or the pangs of moral conscience will make a president or vice-president listen to the public voice. This had happened in the case of US Vice-President Spiro Agnew for spewing expletives or Pres. Richard Nixon for simply refusing to turn over for investigation 18 minutes of taped conversations. Japanese prime ministers resign from office on the slightest hint of official scandal or the lose of support from their peers.
The case of Mr. Benjamen Abalos is a case in point. With less than six months into his retirement from long years of government service starting as a city fiscal to town mayor and head of a constitutional body, Mr. Abalos had to resign as COMELEC chair over charges of corruption and the threat of impeachment. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Noli de Castro are facing more serious charges that would make the devil himself cringe in horror and shame. Two more years is like eternity for people who want to rob the country clean and dry.
Of course PGMA is a lot different. But that is one good reason to let her go.
Gloria and Noli Resign, Hold a Special Election
There are a number of points that must be clarified to make sure that the call for the resignation of Gloria and Noli succeed.
The first issue is whether Gloria alone should resign. Under this mode, Gloria resigns and Vice-President Noli de Castro takes over the presidency by virtue of the rule on succession. This is the point taken by Sen. Nene Pimentel although he qualifies that the vice-president must act only as a “caretaker until 2010.” Sen. Pangilinan says this is the “only constitutional solution to avert civil war.” This is correct but nobody is taking this proposal seriously even by those who support the vice-president like Senate President Manny Villar or the Lopez family. Inspite of his high acceptance rating than the president, Noli is perceived to be incapable of running the country at this particular juncture in our history, a view that even former Pres. Ramos himself has publicly declared. Thus, Noli too, must go, runs the public perception. After all, they were both elected in an election characterized by massive cheating on orders of the president herself as disclosed by the “Hello Garci” tapes.
There is the other view that both Gloria and Noli must resign as president and vice-president respectively, both at the same time. Again, this is constitutionally possible but it is practically impossible to convince them to do so without threatening them with bodily harm like what was done to President Erap when a thousand mob was about to storm Malacanang to force him out after the seven o’clock extended deadline in January 2001. The beleaguered Erap left Malacanang allegedly to avoid bloodshed and the Supreme Court ruled that he had “constructively resigned” as president.
All these need not happen to Gloria or Noli for that matter. All that the people must do is to exert pressure by telling all and sundry that their president has betrayed their trust and violated her oath of office when she succumbed to the high crimes of bribery, graft and corruption. The impeachment case filed against Gloria for this purpose will provide the opportunity to unload to the public the venalities committed by the president herself. If the impeachment try is defeated, the case may be brought directly to the people for them to render a contrary verdict. The pressure so created must be so powerful as to leave to the president and her government no other choice but to resign. In other words, her ability to govern must be so distracted by corruption charges until she realizes that the remaining years of her term would be better spent providing for her own safety rather than trying to bequeath a legacy of a failed presidency.
The easiest way to convince Gloria to resign is to make the impeachment try a success. All that is needed is 80 or so House votes coupled with the quickest trick to send the complaint to the Senate like what then House Speaker Villar did to the Erap impeachment petition. The opposition has about 30 congresspersons who would most likely want to see the president impeached after two failed attempts. In other words, it is Speaker Jose de Venecia and his Lakas-CMD partisans who would play a key role in any attempt to remove the president by impeachment. Once the petition reaches the Senate, there is no other way but for the president to resign to avert criminal prosecution and become the second head of state to be put in jail in Philippine history. But first we must convince Congress that to save the country we must stop Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from using the powers of the presidency for her own ends.
Apart from this constitutional route by way of congressional initiative the only other option decisive enough to make the president and the vice-president resign is a resort to “extra” or “intra” constitutional means, that is by way of a military intervention or mass uprising. The argument is raised that a military intervention is sanctioned by the Constitution when it provided in Section 3 Article II in the Declaration of Principles and State Policies that “the Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State.” In any case, a section of the military is restive enough to prod them into action what with the rampant corruption in the civilian leadership and the persecution of their own ranks: low pay, poor combat leadership, jailed officers and an elected senator denied his rightful seat in the Senate.
The use of “extra” constitutional means borders on the employment of pubic pressure, civil disobedience and mass uprising. It springs from a feeling of hopelessness and belief in the liberating use of violence as an expression of people outrage. Its proponents are prepared to abandon the Constitution to restore constitutional order. Because it relies on the unity and strength of the people it is powerful; but for the same reason it is also quite difficult to build, direct and bring to fruition. It is for this reason also that this option is very dangerous to employ and hardly reassuring in terms of success or victory for the people. There are a number of groups who are attracted to this route for one reason or another. One of them is Mandirigma.
Thus, at the moment, there are three identifiable platforms for the quick removal of Gloria and Noli de Castro.
Resign Gloria & Noli, Install the Chief Justice to led a “caretaker government”
The first group is the one led by the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME). Its advocacy is centered on calling for the resignation of the president and vice-president and prohibiting the Senate President or the Speaker “to act as President” until the new president and vice president shall have been elected and qualified. KME would like to institute a “caretaker government” by designating the highly popular Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as “caretaker President.” This view springs from the assumption, which is patently erroneous, that the Supreme Court Justice is included in the line of succession.
Resign Gloria & Noli, Install a Caretaker Government and Implement Fundamental Reforms
The Laban ng Masa is likely to take this route. Alab Katipunan, a prominent member of the political command comprising the leadership of Laban ng Masa has provisionally adopted this stand. The “caretaker” government is expected to last until 2010 where a new election could be held to elect a new president and vice-president together with a half of the senate and a new set of congressional and local government officials. During this period, it is expected that “immediate fundamental reforms” may be implemented as envisioned in the “transitional revolutionary government” (TRG) program or agenda. One of the reform measures are the revamp of the Commission on Elections and the implementation of anti-poverty measures like regulation of food prices and the lowering of the cost of other basic commodities. Unless the “caretaker government” assumes a “revolutionary” character there is no way that reforms of this kind can be implemented. A chief executive even in the mold of the libertarian Chief Justice Reynato Puno would not be able to pursue a largely pro-people agenda under a “caretaker” set up composed of diverse interests and ideological persuasions.
It is expected that other anti-GMA groups and political blocs will take this position: remove GMA and let a “caretaker” government take-over in the person of Chief Justice Puno and rule until 2010. These may include the rejectionist (RJ) and the reaffirm (RA) factions of the left progressive forces. Even the Black and White Movement (B&W), once they realize that there exist another viable constitutional route other than Noli de Castro, may decide that the resignation of both the president and the vice-president and the holding of a special election is the quickest way to restore decency and redeem the moral integrity of the presidency.
The “Resign GMA-Noli, Special Election 2008” Campaign
The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA and Noli de Castro to resign in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 8 and Section 10 of Article VII of the Constitution. This option passes the test of constitutionality and would be acceptable to the people exhausted of “extra constitutional” means but desirous of social and political change. A constitutional route promises to be an orderly process of succession and would provide fresh mandate to whoever would lead the country in the next six years. The resignation of the two top government officials and the immediate holding of a special or “snap” election to choose their successors will spare the country from the uncertainties of another “people power” or the danger of a “military takeover.” The procedure for a snap election to end an evil regime was used in the past there is no reason why it cannot be tried again with the same measure of success. What needs to be done now is to map out a comprehensive campaign strategy and draw up the operational tactics to make it work. Only the collective will and force of the sovereign people can remove a corrupt president and an indecisive and useless vice-president.
Renewed calls for Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign or face another impeachment try has put her on the defensive making the survival of her administration contingent on the support of the military and on a day-to-day basis. At no time since the “Hello Garci” scandal had the President been linked directly to acts of bribery, corruption and betrayal of public trust. The talk is no longer whether GMA should finish her term in 2010 but rather how to put an end to a graft-ridden and utterly immoral regime that no longer deserves to stay a day longer in office. Together with the people, we must find a way to remove her from office this year or early next year in a manner that is constitutional, peaceful, democratic and orderly.
One option is to conduct a presidential special election next year on in 2008 as provided for under the Constitution. If this fails, PGMA and her vice-president will have the luxury of finishing their term until 2010. This means two more years of governance that cannot but bring to our country dishonor, destitution and ruin.
Under the Constitution, no special election may be called eighteen months before the date of the next presidential election. Section 8, Article VII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides thus:
“Sec. 8. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office or resignation of the President, the Vice President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office or the resignation of both the President and the Vice-President, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall then act as President until the President or Vice President shall have been elected and qualified.” (Underscoring supplied).
Section 10 of Article VII provides for an orderly procedure for the holding of a snap or special election to fill up a vacancy resulting from the resignation of both the president and vice-president, thus:
“Sec.10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in the morning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call. The bill calling such special election shall be deemed certified under paragraph 2, Section 26, Article VI of this Constitution and shall become law upon its approval on third reading by the Congress. Appropriations for the special elections shall be charged against any current appropriations and shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraph 4, Section 25, Article VI of this Constitution. The convening of the Congress cannot be suspended nor the special election postponed. No special election shall be called if the vacancy occurs within eighteen months before the date of the next election. (Underscoring supplied).
The other option is to remove both the president and the vice president by force and forthwith install a “caretaker” government. This has been tried many times before but so far have not been quite successful.
This is not to say however that we will discourage the people from expressing their outrage by other means. This has happened before there is no reason why it cannot be done again. The point is, this government must go by all means possible- whether by a constitutional or an extra-constitutional means. This government has committed such abuse of power as to allow the people the right to employ any means necessary for the redress of their grievances.
Holding a special election is allowed under our Constitution; putting up a “caretaker” government is not and will require the use of “extra constitutional” means of ousting the president and her vice-president. All that is needed to hold a special election is for the presidential and vice-presidential office to be vacated by resignation. Forcing the president and vice-president to resign therefore is all that is needed for a constitutional and peaceful transfer of power. If the president does not resign the only remaining option, barring a fatal heart attack, is removal from office either by way of an impeachment or extra-constitutional means like a power grab.
We must take the constitutional route. The task of the day is to force the president and the vice-president to resign before the end of the year! The onset of the Christmas season is not an argument against launching a vigorous campaign to oust GMA. The most damaging coup ever mounted against then Pres. Cory Aquino took place the first week of December 1987. The testimony of banker Clarisa Ocampo at the impeachment trial on December 23, 2000 led to the ouster of former Pres. Erap roughly one month later. Former Pres. Marcos’ announcement in November 1985 to hold a “snap election” prompted the opposition to prepare for the presidential elections that precipitated the fall of the dictator in February the following year. National hero Jose Rizal was executed on the last day of December whose death ushered in the Revolution of 1898. The months of November and December is a good month as any to start a campaign to change the government or install a new order.
Asking the president and her vice-president to resign is not an easy task. History tells us that no dictator or corrupt leader ever surrendered power so easily. Only public pressure or the pangs of moral conscience will make a president or vice-president listen to the public voice. This had happened in the case of US Vice-President Spiro Agnew for spewing expletives or Pres. Richard Nixon for simply refusing to turn over for investigation 18 minutes of taped conversations. Japanese prime ministers resign from office on the slightest hint of official scandal or the lose of support from their peers.
The case of Mr. Benjamen Abalos is a case in point. With less than six months into his retirement from long years of government service starting as a city fiscal to town mayor and head of a constitutional body, Mr. Abalos had to resign as COMELEC chair over charges of corruption and the threat of impeachment. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Noli de Castro are facing more serious charges that would make the devil himself cringe in horror and shame. Two more years is like eternity for people who want to rob the country clean and dry.
Of course PGMA is a lot different. But that is one good reason to let her go.
Gloria and Noli Resign, Hold a Special Election
There are a number of points that must be clarified to make sure that the call for the resignation of Gloria and Noli succeed.
The first issue is whether Gloria alone should resign. Under this mode, Gloria resigns and Vice-President Noli de Castro takes over the presidency by virtue of the rule on succession. This is the point taken by Sen. Nene Pimentel although he qualifies that the vice-president must act only as a “caretaker until 2010.” Sen. Pangilinan says this is the “only constitutional solution to avert civil war.” This is correct but nobody is taking this proposal seriously even by those who support the vice-president like Senate President Manny Villar or the Lopez family. Inspite of his high acceptance rating than the president, Noli is perceived to be incapable of running the country at this particular juncture in our history, a view that even former Pres. Ramos himself has publicly declared. Thus, Noli too, must go, runs the public perception. After all, they were both elected in an election characterized by massive cheating on orders of the president herself as disclosed by the “Hello Garci” tapes.
There is the other view that both Gloria and Noli must resign as president and vice-president respectively, both at the same time. Again, this is constitutionally possible but it is practically impossible to convince them to do so without threatening them with bodily harm like what was done to President Erap when a thousand mob was about to storm Malacanang to force him out after the seven o’clock extended deadline in January 2001. The beleaguered Erap left Malacanang allegedly to avoid bloodshed and the Supreme Court ruled that he had “constructively resigned” as president.
All these need not happen to Gloria or Noli for that matter. All that the people must do is to exert pressure by telling all and sundry that their president has betrayed their trust and violated her oath of office when she succumbed to the high crimes of bribery, graft and corruption. The impeachment case filed against Gloria for this purpose will provide the opportunity to unload to the public the venalities committed by the president herself. If the impeachment try is defeated, the case may be brought directly to the people for them to render a contrary verdict. The pressure so created must be so powerful as to leave to the president and her government no other choice but to resign. In other words, her ability to govern must be so distracted by corruption charges until she realizes that the remaining years of her term would be better spent providing for her own safety rather than trying to bequeath a legacy of a failed presidency.
The easiest way to convince Gloria to resign is to make the impeachment try a success. All that is needed is 80 or so House votes coupled with the quickest trick to send the complaint to the Senate like what then House Speaker Villar did to the Erap impeachment petition. The opposition has about 30 congresspersons who would most likely want to see the president impeached after two failed attempts. In other words, it is Speaker Jose de Venecia and his Lakas-CMD partisans who would play a key role in any attempt to remove the president by impeachment. Once the petition reaches the Senate, there is no other way but for the president to resign to avert criminal prosecution and become the second head of state to be put in jail in Philippine history. But first we must convince Congress that to save the country we must stop Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from using the powers of the presidency for her own ends.
Apart from this constitutional route by way of congressional initiative the only other option decisive enough to make the president and the vice-president resign is a resort to “extra” or “intra” constitutional means, that is by way of a military intervention or mass uprising. The argument is raised that a military intervention is sanctioned by the Constitution when it provided in Section 3 Article II in the Declaration of Principles and State Policies that “the Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State.” In any case, a section of the military is restive enough to prod them into action what with the rampant corruption in the civilian leadership and the persecution of their own ranks: low pay, poor combat leadership, jailed officers and an elected senator denied his rightful seat in the Senate.
The use of “extra” constitutional means borders on the employment of pubic pressure, civil disobedience and mass uprising. It springs from a feeling of hopelessness and belief in the liberating use of violence as an expression of people outrage. Its proponents are prepared to abandon the Constitution to restore constitutional order. Because it relies on the unity and strength of the people it is powerful; but for the same reason it is also quite difficult to build, direct and bring to fruition. It is for this reason also that this option is very dangerous to employ and hardly reassuring in terms of success or victory for the people. There are a number of groups who are attracted to this route for one reason or another. One of them is Mandirigma.
Thus, at the moment, there are three identifiable platforms for the quick removal of Gloria and Noli de Castro.
Resign Gloria & Noli, Install the Chief Justice to led a “caretaker government”
The first group is the one led by the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME). Its advocacy is centered on calling for the resignation of the president and vice-president and prohibiting the Senate President or the Speaker “to act as President” until the new president and vice president shall have been elected and qualified. KME would like to institute a “caretaker government” by designating the highly popular Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as “caretaker President.” This view springs from the assumption, which is patently erroneous, that the Supreme Court Justice is included in the line of succession.
Resign Gloria & Noli, Install a Caretaker Government and Implement Fundamental Reforms
The Laban ng Masa is likely to take this route. Alab Katipunan, a prominent member of the political command comprising the leadership of Laban ng Masa has provisionally adopted this stand. The “caretaker” government is expected to last until 2010 where a new election could be held to elect a new president and vice-president together with a half of the senate and a new set of congressional and local government officials. During this period, it is expected that “immediate fundamental reforms” may be implemented as envisioned in the “transitional revolutionary government” (TRG) program or agenda. One of the reform measures are the revamp of the Commission on Elections and the implementation of anti-poverty measures like regulation of food prices and the lowering of the cost of other basic commodities. Unless the “caretaker government” assumes a “revolutionary” character there is no way that reforms of this kind can be implemented. A chief executive even in the mold of the libertarian Chief Justice Reynato Puno would not be able to pursue a largely pro-people agenda under a “caretaker” set up composed of diverse interests and ideological persuasions.
It is expected that other anti-GMA groups and political blocs will take this position: remove GMA and let a “caretaker” government take-over in the person of Chief Justice Puno and rule until 2010. These may include the rejectionist (RJ) and the reaffirm (RA) factions of the left progressive forces. Even the Black and White Movement (B&W), once they realize that there exist another viable constitutional route other than Noli de Castro, may decide that the resignation of both the president and the vice-president and the holding of a special election is the quickest way to restore decency and redeem the moral integrity of the presidency.
The “Resign GMA-Noli, Special Election 2008” Campaign
The most logical and historically possible option is the call for GMA and Noli de Castro to resign in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 8 and Section 10 of Article VII of the Constitution. This option passes the test of constitutionality and would be acceptable to the people exhausted of “extra constitutional” means but desirous of social and political change. A constitutional route promises to be an orderly process of succession and would provide fresh mandate to whoever would lead the country in the next six years. The resignation of the two top government officials and the immediate holding of a special or “snap” election to choose their successors will spare the country from the uncertainties of another “people power” or the danger of a “military takeover.” The procedure for a snap election to end an evil regime was used in the past there is no reason why it cannot be tried again with the same measure of success. What needs to be done now is to map out a comprehensive campaign strategy and draw up the operational tactics to make it work. Only the collective will and force of the sovereign people can remove a corrupt president and an indecisive and useless vice-president.
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